


He greeted the past like an old friend

by this_is_everything



Category: X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Jealousy, Love Confessions, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:07:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21634135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/this_is_everything/pseuds/this_is_everything
Summary: Charles and Erik are looking for mutants (set during X-Men First Class)Charles meets an old friendAnd Erik gets jealous
Relationships: Charles Xavier/Original Male Character(s), Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Comments: 2
Kudos: 71





	He greeted the past like an old friend

“Xavier!”, someone shouts. “Xavier!”

Charles turns around, blue eyes full of wonder.

A man runs up to them and he is so familiar it crushes Charles’ lungs.

He lets out a surprised breath and smiles, a grin spreading over his face.

“Henry.”, he says, too loud. “Henry Wilson. What a surprise to meet you here.”

He grasps for the man’s extended hand, shakes it vigorously.

Henry is all smiles as well. His brown hair grows in soft curls like Charles’. He is taller by a few inches, towers over Erik.

“It’s good to see you. You know it’s strange, the past few days I’ve been thinking about school and about our time together, and now I meet you here. What a coincidence, huh?”

Charles just nods and Erik notes with a bitter taste in his mouth that they are still holding hands.

“I remember all the pranks we used to pull on the other boys. Good old times huh? Reminds you of how old we’ve grown.”

Charles’ eyes are a bit glassy. “Yes, I remember very well.” His voice is much softer now. It rings with memories and past emotions Erik has no access to. He stands, lost next to the telepath.

They finally let go of each others hands.

It is only now that Henry registers Erik.

“Oh, hello there.” His smile is cheeky. Erik hates it.

Charles seems to snap out of whatever trance he was in and turns to Erik.

“Henry, this is Erik Lehnsherr. Erik this is Henry Wilson an old colleague of mine from when we were kids at boarding school.”

“I gathered.”, Erik says, his voice chilly. Henry doesn't care, he is already turning back to Charles, throwing one last dismissive glance at Erik.

“A colleague?”, he asks and Erik doesn't know if the man is asking about Erik or his own description.

But Charles knows what Henry meant and he shakes his head. “He is a good friend.”, and then he smiles at Erik the way he always does: honest and full of adoration and Erik melts, he smiles back, tries to send happiness from his brain, pushes it towards Charles. He is not quite sure if it works, he hasn't quite grasped how he can influence Charles’ powers. He hopes it’s strong enough to hide the distaste he has for Henry being in Charles’s personal space, for the man’s hand on Charles’s back pushing him to walk next to each other while Erik has no other choice but to follow them.

“As much as this reunion makes me happy, I have a client to get to. But I would love for us to meet up and chat a little bit about the old times.”, Henry says. “How about we meet here again tonight at 8 o’clock? I know an amazing Italian restaurant not that far from here. How does that sound?” The hand stays on the lower back.

“That sounds like a good idea.”

Henry smiles and then he’s gone, swallowed by the masses.

Charles turns around and smiles, happiness radiating from him like a beacon of light. He reaches to his bag that Erik had been holding but the metalbender clutches it closer to him.

“Where to now?”, he asks instead. Charles nods in a direction and Erik follows him.

.... 

They walk silently and Erik wishes he knew how to make conversations work. Charles glances at him but Erik only replays Henry’s closeness to Charles in his head over and over until he thinks the rage might drown him. Then he pulls back and finds Charles frowning at him and Erik feels sorrow wash over him instead. 

….

They arrive at the motel. It’s shabby but it’ll do. They share a double bed, Erik ignores his panicking mind and throws himself onto the left side of it. Charles is more considerate. He gently arranges his clothes into the wardrobe before he sits down on the right side of the bed, legs gently folded under him, leaning towards Erik.

“Erik?”, he asks.

“Mhm?”

“What’s troubling you, dear?” His voice is soft.

“Why would you think that I’m troubled?”, he says but he already knows the answer.

“Your mind is agitated. You have been thinking, louder than usual.” Erik shifts, turns to Charles.

“I don’t like this Henry.” The room is half lit, and with Charles so close, he feels like he can be honest.

“You don't like anyone Erik.”, Charles chuckles, leans even closer.

“I don't like seeing him with you and realizing that he knows more about you than I ever will.You share so much history.”, he whispers, he feels like his voice might break. Charles is so close he can feel him smile.

“WE have history Erik.”

“Yes, but not that much.”

Charles rightens himself, leans his upper body against the headboard, his bare feet pressed to Eriks legs.

“He doesn't know who I am. YOU do.

“But he means something to you. Who is he?”

“Do you really wish to know?”

Erik nods and Charles leans a hand against his cheek and the images come rushing in.

Suddenly he is a younger Charles, maybe 15, hugging Raven goodbye, entering the boarding school that would be his home for the coming years.

And there’s Henry, young and beautiful in Charles’ mind.

They grow close, prank students, are friends attached hip to hip. The memories slow down, focused on one specific scene.

Henry is smoking. They are both lying on a balcony bathed in sun. There's music playing from somewhere in the background.

Charles hums and when he opens his eyes he says he sees Henry staring at him. He blushes but holds the other mans gaze.

Then Henry leans forward, so very slowly, and kisses Charles. And the boy kisses back.

From then on the memories come faster again. Feverish kisses shared whenever they could, tumbling into beds, bitten lips. The sex is slow and unsure at first but grows rougher with time. And Charles blooms, lives out everything he couldn’t be before, when he was still living under his mother'sand stepfather's hard gaze.

Summer comes. Charles smiles and waves goodbye to Henry as he steps into the car that will bring him to the train station.

He runs into Raven’s arms, tells her everything at night as they squish into the same bed. That he might be in love. That he might be free.

When he comes back after the holidays Henry is gone.

Erik slowly gazes at Charles who moved his hand away from the metalbenders face only to clutch his hand.

“It only means something because he showed me first who I was as a human. But don’t worry Erik, He can never compete with you.”

Erik clutches Charles’ hand a bit too long, brings it to his mouth and kisses it.

Charles goes soft, lays down next to Erik, limbs tangled, hands pressed together.

“We have to go and find the mutant, Erik.”, he whispers.

“A little bit longer please.” And Charles nods. Here in the semidarkness he can pretend that Charles and him are the only thing that exist, the rest fades into nothingness. In this moment he can pretend that Charles is really truly his and Erik wants to dwell a little longer in this fantasy. So he breathes as little as possible and gazes at Charles, who’s eyes are closed now, enjoying the simpleness of lying next to somebody you trust completely.

….

Evening comes way too fast and they’re making making their way to the translation. They found the mutant but she was too young, barely a child. So they gave the mother some money and bid their goodbyes. They spent the afternoon strolling around the city, Charles fresh and enthusiastic about every single thing while Erik simply followed him. Erik’s mood is at rock bottom as they wait for Henry Wilson to come around.

Wo is late by the way.

When he finally arrives, he looks surprised.

"I thought it was only going to be the two of us.", he says and Erik tenses.

"Well you thought wrong my friend." Charles answers fast, clutching Erik’s elbow.

He feels Charles at the edge of his mind, soothing the anger.

"Let’s go then, shall we?", Henry grimaces.

….

The restaurant is expensive, they probably dine a monthly salary worth of small finger food served on big exquisite plates. Henry and Charles converse intensely about things Erikeither doesn’t know or Charles lies about.

He hates both possibilities.

So he excuses himself and leaves for the restroom.

When he comes back he catches Henry leaning into Charles’s personal space again. They don’t know he’s here so he just stands back and watches.

"Are you and that guy together?", Henry says, his voice dripping like honey.

Charles frowns lightly, his smile only wavering slightly.

"No, I am not dating Erik." He emphasizes the metalbenders name but the other just huffs.

"That’s good to hear. That means he won’t mind if I ask you on a date right?" Henry laughs and smiles.

Charles leans back, a slight frown forming on his forehead and that’s all it takes for Erik to walk to their table and squish himself between the mindreader and Henry.

"I would mind.", he says coldly, then reaches for Charles’ arm and drags him out of the restaurant. It’s cold outside and Erik quickens his pace while Charles is puffing in the freezing air. His mind is still focused on his anger, and it takes all he has not to turn back and punch Henry in his stupidly perfect teeth.

He feels like he might drown in his emotions until he feels Charles’ hand slip into his own and press himself close to him, the other hand resting on Erik’s lower arm, his cheek pressed into the metalbender’s shoulder. He slows down. Charles smiles at him.

"It’s cold." He says, as if it were the most obvious thing.

Once they arrive at the motel, Erik brings some distance between them. He kicks off his shoes, takes off his vest before sitting down onto the bed. He turns his gaze to look at Charles who is still standing at the door, his cheeks flushed from the cold.

"I am sorry for what I did just now.", he says even though he’s not really sorry.

"What did you do?" Charles voice is soft.

"Pulling you away just like that, without asking.. I mean maybe you do want to go on a date with him."

Now Charles is moving, taking off his shoes and his coat, walking towards the bed, dropping onto it, crawling to Erik, leaning onto the older man’s side.

"That’s quite okay, darling. At least like this I get to spend more time alone with you."

It’s so honest, Erik almost chokes. The feelings he tries to keep buried surface without his consent. Like the hand holding, like the finger brushing and the cheek caressing, it makes him hope and he tries to kill it but his chest swells with it anyways, closes his throat, makes his mouth go dry.

Charles just smiles at him with his beautiful blue eyes, then knocks their heads lightly together.

"I like you if I wasn’t clear enough."

It’s everything he has been wishing for. It is so perfect Erik isn’t sure if this moment is actually real and not a hallucination conjured by his toxic mind. Because how could Charles even consider him anything else than a friend, and with Erik’s behavior even 'friend' would be a stretch. Nevertheless Charles has Erik completely wrapped around his finger, around his very being. Erik swallows hard.

"Erik?"

He breaks out of his thoughts. Charles looks less sure now, eyes cast downward, biting his lip and -oh- wow that’s definitely a look Erik likes.

"God, yes Charles. I like you, believe me I do."

And Charles’ smile illuminates the room. His eyes start to sparkle, his dimples show.

"Okay, great, yeah-"

Erik has shifted closer, their faces only inches apart. They’ve done this a thousand times before but this time it’s different, they feel the meaning behind it. It’s like the room around them has been set under current, electricity flowing through their bodies until their buzzing with energy.

"- that’s great." Charles finishes. Erik takes his face between his hands, Charles’s eyes fall to the other man’s lips.

"Can I kiss you?", Erik asks, helplessly.

~~(If Charles rejects him now he might as well die.)~~

"Yes please." Charles is a little breathless, his smile is huge.

And so Erik tips forward, tentatively brushing his lips against Charles’. Sparks fly and suddenly Charles is on him, his lips are hot, his mouth even hotter. Erik grabs Charles’ waist almost on instinct and Charles shifts onto Erik’s lap. It’s hot and messy and everything Erik dreamed of, as his hands travel up and down Charles’s ribcage, never resting, seemingly unable to until they find his ass.

Charles moans into his mouth and God damn him if it isn’t the dirtiest thing he has heard in his entire life. Instead he presses closer, catching the mindreader’s lower lips between his teeth, pulling. Charles bites him in response, drawing blood, then licking it off Erik’s chin. It takes all of Erik’s willpower not to come in his pants right here and there.

He drops backwards, pulling Charles with him, who falls forward with a yelp, kicks Erik with his chin. Erik wraps his arms around his waist and smiles at him, presses him close.

"I’m so happy, I think I might die.",he says.

Charles laughs and nestles his head onto Erik’s chest.

"Me too, darling, me too.", he whispers.


End file.
